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ck down and ongoing restrictions did not create a barrier to alice s work as she is fully absorbed by what is growing on her allotment feeding the family but also feeding her creative work there are several beautiful examples of little eco printed books and papers in her book natural processes in textile art she says that she was drawn to books as a way of making 3d work and shifting the flat plane into an object the little books are just one element of her creative practice and alice loves making them because a variety of techniques and structures can be employed three photos taken from natural processes in textile art page 109 they are also very useful in the workshop setting as students can come away with one or more very pleasing finished items it was the little books that drew me to one of alice s wonderful workshops and it is indeed a real joy to make one this is part of one i made whilst on that workshop the beauty of a small book format is that you can colour print and or stitch a single surface and then cut and fold it to isolate different motifs creating real interest on each tiny page whilst maintaining an overall sense of unity for the future i m envisaging a set of rich and opulent little stitched books on particular themes very different from alice s work but definitely inspired by her for which i am very grateful sources www alicefox co uk www textilestudygroup co uk embroidery magazine july august 2017 32 37 cloth paper stone fox alice 2017 unknown book shipley west yorkshire stitch print weave press fox alice 2016 findings shipley west yorkshire stitch print weave press fox alice 2015 natural processes in textile art from rust dyeing to found objects london batsford fox alice 2013 tide marks shipley west yorkshire stitch print weave press fox alice 2013 gifts from the pavement saltaire shipley west yorkshire stitch print weave press textile study group to be published soon insights ruth issett photo taken from a passion for colour page 119 ruth s artist statement starts with my work is governed by an overriding excitement and passion for colour and her sheer exuberance in the use of colour is obvious in every piece however it is not just the colour as such that is uplifting but more importantly the unique way in which ruth puts colours together this involves various mixed media techniques as well as some stitch all of which are essentially simple and usually start from undyed papers fabrics and threads so ruth s work is not about complexity of individual processes but rather the layering and combination of several processes which work together to achieve complex and exciting results thus her practice is underpinned by both an in depth understanding of colours and how they work together and also by her knowledge and experience of how those colours behave with different fibres and on different surfaces photo taken from a passion for colour page 35 i assumed that ruth has a massive stash of coloured papers and cloths and indeed she does these have accumulated over many dye sessions and also through the numerous workshops that ruth has run over the years but she told me that she still often needs to dye or print new papers or fabrics especially if she is working on a new series or a specific project one of the interesting things during the recent lockdown was that ruth identified that she works better or at least is more prolific when she has a deadline it seems to create more discipline and help decision making she says i always plan what i am going to do in a day i rarely get out of bed without a plan although i rarely achieve everything i plan this is really helpful advice and it s interesting to note that the apparent spontaneity and exuberance of ruth s work is built on a foundation of discipline and a planned approach which includes ongoing documentation and record keeping photo taken from a passion for colour page 115 i suspect that there is more than enough material for another book just from the enormous stash that ruth already has this would be hugely inspiring for others to see i asked ruth whether having done so much with colour over a long period there are still new things that she would like to do and was not at all surprised to learn that there are she mentioned a recent exploration of greys and also an increased focus on softer greens and blues prompted by daily walks in the countryside during lockdown and then there is more mono printing screen printing and other methods to express ideas what i do know is i ll never be short of things i want to research she says photo taken from a passion for colour page 111 i always loved colour but it was ruth s approach which really helped me to gain confidence in dyeing and now much of my work involves hand dyed papers cloths threads or yarns for weaving including painted warps my own dye books inspired by ruth sources www textilestudygroup co uk issett ruth 2013 a passion for colour exploring colour through paper print fabric thread and stitch tunbridge wells kent search press issett ruth 2007 print pattern and colour for paper and fabric london batsford issett ruth 2004 colour on cloth create stunning effects with dye on fabric london batsford issett ruth 2001 glorious papers techniques for applying colour to paper london batsford issett ruth 1998 colour on paper and fabric london batsford textile study group to be published soon insights jean littlejohn fin de siecle william revealed 2013 a piece that i am fortunate to own we celebrate the work of jean littlejohn a respected advocate of embroidery and textiles and a prolific artist author and teacher whose practice has impacted the creative lives of makers worldwide embroidery nov dec 2019 44 it is very difficult to know where to start when writing about jean as there is just so much that she has done over many years much of it in close working relationship and friendship with her double trouble partner jan beaney suffice to say that she is always my first port of call in a storm when i m not sure how to proceed with some aspect of my creative work turkey series rose evening photo taken from stitch magic page 43 i look at this piece often it s always the layering that draws me in jean s use of layering as a technical exercise is fascinating in its own right and while layering of itself is not complex the results of combining up to ten layers into one complex and fully unified and integrated piece is something that most of us can just aspire to however jean s use of layering is so much more than a technical exercise it s the way in which she expresses her deep connection to history and to the world around her she told me that for some years i have been trying to describe in my work an interplay between past and present an in and out of focus effect another piece of work that i frequently turn to for inspiration looking back 1 photos taken from stitch rhythms and patterns pp 78 81 thus the technique of the layering process has evolved to become a means of expression rather than an end in itself and this presents a new challenge for every piece because the process needs to be redefined and further developed to express the new subject matter she says i love the challenge of working through design ideas and working out how on earth i m going to do it this is why jean s work always seems to be moving on in a developmental progression and i believe how she is able to balance the volume of the output with the quality and integrity of those finished pieces of course it is also the case that jean invests much time and effort in research and design development and places great value in thinking time i could also mention her use of colour embellisher hand dyed cloths and surface decoration as well as her huge investment in teaching and supporting others however it is jean s use of layering techniques in particular to abstract and evoke the essence of the subject matter and thus create hugely rich deep and expressive pieces of work that always have integrity which i find so utterly inspirational and exciting jean told me that she likes to work in themes but when finished i do move on this too is a useful learning point doing enough to do justice to the exploration of the subject matter whilst also knowing when to stop before the design or the techniques become tired and are no longer evolving this may be obvious but it can be easy to become stuck and not realise it finally jean says that she does sometimes return to familiar themes and in the current challenging times she has returned to the moon but i have had to find a different way of working to keep me motivated sources www doubletrouble ent com beaney jan and littlejohn jean 2011 stitch rhythms and patterns maidenhead berks double trouble enterprises beaney jan and littlejohn jean 2010 stitchscapes maidenhead berks double trouble enterprises beaney jan and littlejohn jean 1997 2019 26 books on techniques sketchbooks use of colour etc beaney jan and littlejohn jean 1998 stitch magic ideas and interpretation london batsford range of dvds embroidery magazine november december 2019 44 yearning for learning embroidery magazine september october 2013 one and one makes summary of course alice ruth and jean are well established and well regarded textile artists but in their different ways they all feel like kindred spirits to me i think that s because not only does their work really resonate with me but they are also so generous with their knowledge and expertise likewise they all have an intimate knowledge of not just their techniques but how to put techniques together coupled with in depth understanding and research into their subject matter sampling and design development some textile artists at all levels seem to get stuck in a particular way of doing things with the result that work begins to look rather similar over time the work of each of these textile artists is easily recognisable but i believe that what makes them stand out is that they are constantly moving their work along and building on their expertise and knowledge so while an output of resolved pieces is always required for the next exhibition commission or publication actually it is the creative process and personal development coupled with ongoing research and exploration which really drives them this is why they each inspire me in their own way and why they are my go to textile artists when i need a prompt or some inspiration i am hugely grateful to alice ruth and jean for their personal contribution to this particular study and for their continuing willingness and ability to guide support share and inspire end of chapter 12 still to be submitted module 6 chapter 11 design development for personal assessment 4 personal assessment 4 large scale piece categories uncategorized distant stitch diploma personal assessment 3 august 10 2020 1 distant stitch diploma assessment 3 functional 3d piece the requirement for the third assessment piece was to make a functional 3d item my aim for this assessment was to create an outward expression of the inner spiritual journey and also to evoke the contrast between public and private space as seen in the islamic garden through the creation of a lidded box where most of the work and decoration is on the inside i planned to use the techniques of felting hand and free machine stitch applique additional decoration and use of the embellisher the box is inspired by my own little islamic garden and the piece is called paradise is here the key planned elements of the box were as follows size 7 x 4 golden ratio with a height of 3 inner and outer layers to be developed separately but as whole cloth pieces which would be cut to shape and stitched to form the box outside of box to be made of hand rolled felt in a mix of blue wool and some sparkly fibres to evoke lapis lazuli inside to be green and gold covered with jewel like flowers and with a golden inside to the lid overall aim was to achieve a rich and opulent inside to the box lapis lazuli box from afghanistan this one is inlaid with my name photo outside of resolved box i started with a full scale paper plan to map out the approximate placement of the flowers and the different colours in order to achieve drifts of colour when the flat surface became a 3d box gold transfer foil was applied to a base cloth of plain calico and the inside of the box but not the lid was covered with layers of detached chain stitch in various greens the stitched surface was then embellished from the front to integrate the stitches and colours and another layer of gold transfer foil was bonded to the surface this time using mistyfuse which creates a more transparent and organic web like coverage of the foil so that the surface remains green but with plenty of gold highlights gold coloured chiffon was then bonded onto the surface to make it ready for further stitch and decoration daisy like flower motifs were created on the lid using detached chain stitch and various bright colours and this surface was then covered with a solid layer of bonded gold transfer foil the flowers were knocked back with the embellisher and the surface was then further distressed by hand rubbing to leave some gold on the raised flower motifs a small gold bead was attached to the centre of each flowers a temporary calico cover was stitched over the lid surface to protect it while the work progressed on the interior of the box the next step was to create some flower motifs which would be fully attached to the box inner to give an embossed effect the blue flowers were made from two layers of silk bonded together with gold transfer foil bonded to their surface the daisy like flowers similar to those on the lid were made as for the lid using various shades of gold orange and russet but this time each one was cut out and hand stitched to the green surface again giving an embossed appearance each of these flowers has a small gold bead at its centre embossed flowers just be seen here integrated with the green and gold ground cloth the next stage was to create and attach the free standing flowers to achieve a 3d effect these were developed in a few different ways using bonded silk handmade silk paper and free machine stitch on organza they were stitched to the surface just at their centres and apart from the blue ones a small circle of gold bugle beads was attached first to create a little well for the centre to be stitched into thus giving a 3d effect whereby the flowers stand proud of the surface each of the flowers was then given a decorative centre using gold and coloured beads the previously stitched lid was then uncovered and dozens of tiny gold swarovski crystals were applied these crystals have a hole in the middle so that each was applied by hand using gold metallic thread it was clearly not appropriate to use the hot fix or glue on ones scores more crystals were attached to the box inner in drifts of colours to emphasis the colours of the flowers or the gree...